When it comes to ice-cool World Rally Championship action, Rallye Monte Carlo was just the warm-up act. For round two it’s off to Rally Sweden: the only full winter round of the season and undoubtedly one of the most spectacular. Viewers can catch Red Bull TV’s extended coverage throughout the weekend for free on redbull.tv/wrc or via the app.
Rally Sweden has been on the World Championship calendar since the series started in 1973, and it’s quite literally the coolest event of the year. Temperatures often dip close to minus 30 degrees centigrade. And massive snowbanks line the stages, with rally cars bouncing off them like ping pong balls.
Drivers try to lean their cars against the snowbanks to carry more speed through each corner. In order to generate grip on a surface that’s often too slippery to stand up on, they rely on special studded snow tyres, with 384 metal spikes in each tyre that bite through the surface snow and ice into the firmer ground underneath.
While the event is called Rally Sweden, most of Friday’s action actually takes place in neighbouring Norway
One of the highlights of the event is the famous ‘Colin’s Crest’ jump on Saturday’s Vargasen stage. There’s even a prize on offer for the best jump!
The ‘dream team’ of Mike Chen and Matt Wilson are back to present the Red Bull TV coverage – and this time they have a very special guest. Hyundai factory driver Dani Sordo, one of the top stars of the World Rally Championship, will join Mike and Matt to bring a unique driver’s perspective to one of the fastest and most exciting rallies on the championship.
As usual, there will be enhanced coverage on Red Bull TV this year from every day of the rally, including live coverage of the Super Stage – Vargasen – on Saturday (starting at 14:45 CET). There’s also a special Sunday show with an hour of action from the rally-deciding Power Stage. With breath-taking in-car footage, it’s almost better than being there. And certainly a lot warmer.
SS Vargåsen today‼️ Temperature -7c, Ice layer 5cm thick, Snowbanks 110cm!❄️?? pic.twitter.com/l1TnOaSTt5
— Rally Sweden (@RallySweden) February 6, 2018
